stuck my finger tips 1 million times with a needle that I couldn't thread to save my life while sewing patches on JT's Cub Scout shirt. Went to Walmart mid patch to buy a sewing machine that is idiot proof (because I can't figure out how to use the one I have) and had to listen to some pathetic story about how they have 2 in stock but they are out in a trailer behind the store and could I come back tomorrow? Ummm....no, the patches need to be sewed on today. Went back home...minus the sewing machine...and stuck my finger 1 million more times, but finished the shirt in time.

Filled the rest of the week with the 1001 things that moms do everyday because we are moms

Friday, March 18, 2011

St. Patrick's day is a well celebrated holiday around these parts. I am extremely proud of my Irish heritage and while I try very hard to have my kids embrace both sides of their heritage (my husband is Slovak) the Irish just seems to win every time. I like to make it fun around here come the 17th, but not too crazy (because afterall we are lucky enough to be Irish all year long).

Yesterday was no exception, starting with a visit from our friendly house leprachaun who visits each St. Patrick's Day to perform silly little shenanigans in the house (our leprachaun DOES NOT leave gifts...that is reserved for Santa and the Easter bunny). However, our leprachan does turn things green...like the toilet water and our milk.

Our food tends to turn green as well.

Especially when you have cute little leprachauns in training mixing up your pancake batter

yummy breakfast fit for a leprachaun﻿

dinner in the making

Those were supposed to be rainbow waffles. I got the idea from Kelli over at Random Thoughts of a SUPERMOM! I saw them and just knew I had to make them they were soooo cute. Let me rephrase that...Kelli's were sooooo cute, mine on the other hand looked like a tye-dye expirement gone horribly wrong. The kids at least liked them, and appreciated the effort.

it just isn't St. Patty's day without a Shamrock Shake...then again, it really hasn't been a day in March around here without a Shamrock Shake. Hey, they only come around once a year, I think I can justify the excessive consumption (read - obsession) with that point alone.

and because the Shamrock Shake was consumed with dinner we had to have dessert too! Once again, Kelli came through with a great idea for me with her Leprachaun Jello...this one actually came out perfect and was really, really yummy despite being made with lime jello

in my opinion, it just isn't St. Patrick's Day without a corned beef sandwich...

since I don't like waffles I skipped them and got my corned beef fix

(since no one else here will eat it anyway...really, they don't know what they are missing)

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Hello and welcome to the March edition of the Close to My Heart (CTMH) Spotlight Blog Hop. This month we are all about scrapbooking techniques! Wether you are coming from Wendy or this is your first stop, welcome! You will find the next hopper at the end of this post so sit back, grab your favorite beverage and hop along for inspiration today!

When I first saw the spotlight topic I thought to myself..."scrapbooking techinques? What the heck is a scrapbooking technique?" I could have thought of about a thousand stamping techniques but was truely drawing a blank on what technique I use when scrapbooking. When I scrapbook I just do it and let whatever I do come naturally...basically, I don't think about it. But when I really thought about it, pretty much anything you do when you scrapbook could be considered a technique...distressing, tearing, mating pictures, layering paper, using patterned paper, decorative scissors, punches, stickers, embellishments...pretty much everything and anything goes (and I have done pretty much everything!).

Today, I want to share a layout that uses a really fun retired paper pack I am hoping most of you have in your stash...Zippidee. I did alot of layering with different elements to add some texture and dimension to the layout. I mated the pictures in a solid cardstock and used punches and decorative scissors. I also used the coordinating My Stickease as borders and to draw the elements together.

---> Now hop on over to Corinato see what technique she is featuring today!

To view some of my other layouts I have shared that use different scrapbooking techinques, please click on the picture below to be taken to the original post:

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inking, doodling, distressing
click on the pic for the original post

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distressing, inking, faux stitching, dry embossing, paper tearing
click on the pic for the original post

Sunday, March 13, 2011

So excited to be joining Kimberly this week in a brand new linky party so...

Can't say last week was very exciting or blog worthy for that matter. Then again, I really don't usually think my life is blog worthy which is why I don't post as often as I would like to. I guess I have to make an effort to have the camera out more capturing those really fun moments (trust me we have fun), that is after all one of the reasons I blog...to remember the everyday fun moments not just the big events.

This week's assignment...make next weeks weekly recap better, but since it is not next week, and it is this week...here goes (and if you are a reader..thank you...some of these pics are repeats, but that is how the week went):

﻿(1)

Started off the week with a little partying, corned beef and Irish dancing at Irish Night at the Sons of Erin (a local Irish club I belong to). Got to be proud of that Irish heritage.

(2)

Welcomed a new "friend" to get me motivated every morning at 5:50 am on the days that I am not going to the gym (which is pretty much every day). She has been hanging out in the DVD cabinet for awhile now...I finally decided to face my fear and just do it. Although lifting my arms for the rest of the week has become a chore.

{photo from Amazon.com}

(3)

Had a few too many of these this week (although in my defense I counted them as dinner and Jillian really did kick my butt). If you haven't had a Shamrock shake from McDonalds yet...what are you waiting for?

(4)

Spent a good few days trying to rationalize with the kids why the fox that has been visiting us in the morning can not live in the dog house and be our new pet. And furthermore, if I don't think the dog house is a good idea, it is definitely not a good idea for Foxie Moxie (so he/she has been named) to take turns sleeping in their rooms.

(5)

Turned this:

into this:

and received lots of love, hugs and kisses. But the best reward, it has stayed that way all week long! Of course telling him that if I have to clean it again it will be with several large black trash bags and a trip to the dump﻿ probably helped.

(6)

Felt a little bit older when my 11 year old asked if she could wear a little mascara. I agreed to a little on the weekends but not to school. Felt even older (and just like my mom) when I used the old..."I don't care if every one else is, everyone else is not my daughter" line.

(7)

Spent a good portion of Saturday with Kelsey at an antique store I have been wanting to check out. I went in looking for a specific piece that I didn't find. We did leave with 2 old coca-cola bottles (that I have no clue what to do with) and I saw a bunch of items I would love to have if only I had a place to put them. These photos aren't great but imagine the possibilities...

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oh large rusty sign...my kitchen wall would love you! but for $325 I just couldn't.

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love this...
my parents have the same one at their house in dad's man town...
always wanted it when he was ready to part with it.

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two old cameras (and a cool lantern thingy) for a fraction of the price that PB is asking.
The box even has old Polaroid film and extra flashes.

﻿﻿﻿﻿oh, and on a side note to the other two "antique" stores that we visited on the way to the really awesome one that we will be visiting again...if your store smells like cigarette smoke (which I think is against the law to smoke in a public building) I don't care how cool your stuff is...I am leaving. And piling junk and trash in heaps on the floor around a woman sitting around a space heater is not really becoming of a store. If you are going to go ahead and break the fire code anyway...you should think about lighting a candle to take away the stench that overpowered you as you walk in the door.

Friday, March 11, 2011

I am all about learning how to use my silly camera this year. I had dreams of buying the thing, turning it on and just knowing how to use it. Not happening. I am a smart girl, really I am, but this photography thing with all the settings, F stops, white balance, ISO etc. etc. really confuses the heck out of me. I will not however turn that dial to the dreaded green square (I didn't pay $800 for a camera to use the auto function!). So in my quest to learn how to use my camera I have found some great photo challenges, projects, assignments, etc. in blog land and on facebook. I am trying out the ones that I like and attempting to get a little more comfortable with my little camera friend (who apparently needs a name...)

I am super excited to have found this great little photo project over at a bit of sunshine . The concept is to capture the beauty woven throughout your day by taking 10 pictures for 10 consecutive hours on the 10th of each month. Being the scatter brain that I am, I didn't exactly get 10 consecutive hours....but, hey at least I did get 10 photos (that are not taken in the same hour!). I will definetly be back for this one in April...how fun!

The 10th of March...my day in pics

7:30 ish...morning visitor out the kitchen window

9:00 ish...a little Mickey Mouse Club House

﻿12:30ish...lunch

3:45ish...can I run on fumes???

5:45ish...traffic {grrrr} but great alone time with the kiddos...

6:30ish....pure heavenly goodness {Shamrock Shakes}

7:30 ish....screen time for the kiddos, quiet time and a great book for me

(photo courtesy of JT)

8:30ish...bed and reading time for the kiddos

Kelsey and her kindle:

The book JT and I are currently reading together:

9:22 (exactly)...can't wait for bed and the hubby to get home from work

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about my blog....

My blog is ever revolving and that being said, you never know what you might find. From day to day you might find the rantings and ravings of an overstressed mom desperately seeking some peace and organization in my chaotic life, pics and updates of my kids and family outings, or peeks into my passions...cooking, scrapping and stamping! This is the place to find a hodge podge of everything...well, me.

If you are here to check out my creative stuff, please look and feel free to lift (after all, I probably lifted it first), but please only for personal use and give credit where credit is due.

If you like what you see - please let me know and come back for more! I would love to hear from you.